Tag Archives: children

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Future Advocate

Your past and present place in life is just the beginning. It cannot confine or keep you from the prosperity and riches God has in store for you. Believe that and expect undeserved favor to fall in arenas your feet have never been.

Slopping my feet through the puddles as I made my way to an entrance of the high school, I shook my head, ‘what am I doing here? I don’t know what it takes to parent at 15-year old boy?’ Shaking hands with his teachers, sitting face to face with lawyers and ‘powers that be’, we passed around papers and made decisions on how to help this guy succeed.

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children, this volunteer opportunity offers me a chance to redirect the path of neglected kids.

With his head hung low, a few dreadlocks fell over the child’s face as he found a seat in the back of the room. I thought to myself, ‘what an intimidating place for a teen to take, listening to a bunch of adults planning out the course of his life.’

He’s a wonderful writer. On home visits, he digs through the masterpieces to share some treasured transcriptions with me. As the teachers tried to push tutors and extra testing to improve his grades, something clicked in me as writer too.
“Hey ‘C’, what if you used your rhyming and writing skills to learn biology material and math equations? Could you use poetry to help you remember stuff?”

His head lifted and his eyes lit up. God sparked a new fire.

I concluded that my past and present place in life (by not being a parent) cannot hold me back from what God has for my future.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

… Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Psalm 35:27

… I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. Genesis 12:2

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Raising Up A Child

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8, Luke 11:9-10

We can be quick to credit an open door of opportunity as Jesus pointing us down a path. But what if that door is really an opportunity for you to step up and close it? When a parent raises up a child, there comes a time when they no longer dictate decisions and give a kid some authority to make their own. This freedom to make choices is to strengthen our moral compass.

Our Heavenly Father has kingdom work for each of us. But in order for the Almighty to entrust His plan to His children, our integrity, morality, honesty, wisdom and the gifts of the spirit are continually being pressed down, refined, and shaped. Good doors of opportunity will swing open so that we can exercise our wisdom to close it and choose God’s best. As we grow in Christ, the devil turns up the heat as it becomes harder to thwart our integrity.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 1 Corinthians 13:11

As we pray for growth in God, He extends us more freedom to fine tune His pointer on the compass of our hearts. He doesn’t force a door shut or open, but let’s His children choose. As these swinging doors open, it’s our discernment that decides who sits in the hinges.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Want to know what path is from God? Pray about it first. Then look for the path less traveled by masses. The one few, yet wise folks are taking. The one that requires more strength from God to stand on and less of your own stamina. What scares you? Now throw off everything you know or have done, every fear and financial burden. Recall the dream God gave you as a child and pursue your God given passion down that narrow path few have the courage in Christ to take.

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A Voice For The Children

Tonight I begin 5 weeks of intense training to become a “Court Appointed Special Advocate” for children coming from abusive/neglected homes. Its a volunteer opportunity that requires hours/week of investigation, court reporting and testimony to recommend the best interest for a child, whether it includes returning to their parents or another permanent home. It’s a nationwide initiative meant to relieve overburdened social workers who have too many cases and cannot give the necessary attention to each case. The result of this stretched-too-thin social work often times means children are released into homes where they are abused a second time… or third… or sometimes end in death.

This is my chance to pour out my heart in loving on children in ways they’ve maybe never received. I expect to graduate in six weeks and be sworn in by a judge to become a legal member of juvenile court, with a voice for children.

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What Are You Preparing For

We all have dreams, ambitions and life aspirations; personal goals, career objectives and community/world impact are just a few areas. For the most part, we probably have a vision of what that path looks like to achieve them, but sometimes a bump in the road throws us off. When it happens to me, I run to God with a long list of questions ‘what did I get wrong’… ‘what then are you preparing me for’? The other night though, He answered back, ‘what are you preparing for?’

Here’s a story I was recently told. Famous UCLA basketball coach John Wooden led one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, winning 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years. Toward the end of his life, he was asked what one day from his storied career he would choose to re-live if given the chance. Wooden said he would conduct one more day of practice in the gym because “each day of practice was, by far, the most fulfilling, exciting, and memorable thing I did as a coach. That’s where I taught those under my supervision how to achieve success as members of a team.”

I think about David and Goliath. Before the big showdown, there was the setup. David spent his youth shepherding day in and day out. Even after Samuel anointed him King of Israel, David didn’t take the throne until many years later. On that infamous battle day, David was only a shepherd boy, equipped with a testimony of God’s help in the field to fight a lion and bear in order to protect the sheep. That was the preparation David needed to stand with his sling and shoot down the beast-that was a man God prepared to be king before he ever took the crown.

I think about some of the more ‘simple’ desires of the heart; becoming a great spouse, parent, leader or disciple. When we can’t tangibly see or be in the moment requiring greatness, it’s difficult to find motive for daily preparation. But truthfully, we don’t become a great spouse the moment we say ‘I do’. Every day prior to the altar, we must choose to be diligent in our journey with this goal in mind.

Here’s what that looks like for me. Instead of pouring a bowl of cereal for a single gal, I make a conscious effort to prepare nutritious choices. With that same vision in mind, the company I keep is full of female friendships and wisdom, as I’ve learned to let go of male relationships. Like David, these days are the testimony of God’s preparation in me to be a great ‘queen’ or bride. I’m choosing to walk today in regard to the choices I will make tomorrow.

So what are you preparing for? Tomorrow starts with today.

Tonight

My future is worth it. Pear, arugula, balsamic flatbread with pine nuts and mozzarella cheese.

Earlier this week

My future is worth it- Eggplant, fresh sage and aged asiago cheese. Asparagus, mushrooms, onions, peppers topped with tomatoes, white wine, fresh basil, cracked pepper and olive oil.